Habitat Conections: Wetlands, Fisheries and
Economics
Pacific Coastal States |
South Atlantic |
New England | Gulf of Mexico | Mid Atlantic
Part Two: Wetlands, Fisheries, & Economics in the S. Atlantic Coastal States
The
relationships between wetlands and fish production are an
essential and important part of the
ongoing
debate on wetland regulation and policy. Unfortunately, these
relationships are complicated and often unappreciated. For
some fisheries, such as shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico, the
connection between wetlands and productivity has been demonstrated
through extensive research. For others, such as salmon in
the Pacific northwest, the relationship between habitat loss
and productivity has been shown principally through the failure
of the fisheries themselves. For a few fisheries, such as
lobster, the connection to wetlands has been discovered only
recently, and the primary influences on productivity are
still being investigated. Because of the complexity of aquatic
systems, it is difficult to quantify the exact effect of
the loss or degradation of a particular acre of wetland on
a fishery as a whole.
However, the life cycles of most commercial fish and shellfish species are fairly well understood, and biologists have determined that wetlands play an important part in providing food, protection, and spawning areas for a number of species. Approximately 75% of the Nation's commercial fish and shellfish depend on estuaries at some stage in their life cycle. Estuaries themselves depend on their wetlands to maintain water quality and provide the basis for food chains that culminate in human consumption of seafood. Many estuarine-dependent species have even closer ties to wetlands in that they feed, take refuge, or reproduce in the wetlands themselves. Without wetlands , these fish and shell fish and shellfish cannot survive.
Commercial marine fisheries contributed $19.8 billion in value added to the U.S. Gross National Product in 1993. Commercial fishing in 1988 employed over 274,000 fishers and 90,000 shore workers. Fresh water and saltwater recreational fisheries in 1991 supported 924,600 jobs, provided $19.2 billion in earnings, and resulted in $24 billion in expenditures. This industry also contributed $ 1. I billion in state sales tax, $227 million in state income taxes, and $2.1 billion in Federal income taxes.
The following summaries for the south Atlantic coastal states provide information about the contribution of commercial and recreational fisheries to local and state economies, the relationships between the important fish species and wetlands, and the status of wetland habitats. About 94% of the commercial fish and shellfish harvested along the southeast Atlantic coast are dependent on estuaries and the wetlands that are an integral part of estuarine ecosystems. Shrimp, flounder, blue crab, and menhaden, which are important elements of the south Atlantic's fisheries, are dependent on the wetlands of this region.
In the late 1970's and early 1980's, this country was losing wetlands at an estimated rate of 300,000 acres per year. The Clean Water Act and state wetland protection programs have helped to decrease wetland losses to an estimated 70,000 to 90,000 acres per year. Strong wetland protection must continue to be a national priority, otherwise fisheries that support more than a million jobs and contribute billions of dollars to the national economy are at risk.
North Carolina
North Carolina contains one of the largest and most productive aquatic systems
in North America: Albemarle-Pamlico Sound. It represents the state's key
resource base for commercial fishing, recreational fishing, and tourism.
The dockside value of commercial landings of fish and shellfish at Beaufort,
Morehead City, Wenches, Stumpy Point, and other North Carolina seafood
centers exceeded $110 million in 1995. Recreational fisheries also contribute
substantially to the state's economy, generating more than $25 million
in state sales tax in 199 1. During that same year, about 600,000 anglers
spent more than $200 million on saltwater recreational fishing in North
Carolina, mainly in the coastal communities surrounding Albemarle-Pamlico
Sound. Together, the state's commercial and recreational fisheries provide
thousands of full-time jobs to coastal towns.
Carteret County provides a good example of the significance of the fishing industry to local communities in North Carolina. Centrally located along North Carolina's coast, it is one of the state's most important commercial and recreational fishing destinations. A study by the Carteret County Economic Development Council concluded that about 20 percent of the civilian labor force in that county is directly or indirectly employed in commercial fishing. The study further concluded that without commercial fishing, the county's economy would suffer. Although recreational fishing was not analyzed in this study, it undoubtedly also supports a significant number of jobs in Carteret County.
The estuarine waters and wetlands of Pamlico-Albemarle Sound, including those located in Carteret County, provide critical nursery areas for more than 75 species of fish and shellfish. juvenile sea trout, flounder, blue crab, and shrimp, the most commonly fished species, all depend on estuarine wetlands for protection and food. Shrimp production, in particular, has been shown to be directly proportional to the acreage of vegetated wetlands in an estuary, which is why the conservation of wetland nursery areas is so important to the economies of local communities such as those in Carteret County.
Fortunately, Albemarle-Pamlico Sound is a relatively healthy estuary. However, recently it has begun to show signs of stress, such as increased fish kills and shellfish bed closures. Some of that stress may be the result of coastal wetland loss and loss of the water quality functions wetlands perform. By the mid-1980's, NorthCarolina had lost approximately half of its estimated original wetlands acreage. The Clean Water Act and the state's Coastal Area Management Act have decreased the state's wetland loss rate, but coastal states such as North Carolina are still losing wetlands to development more rapidly than is occurring in inland states, particularly in the southeast United States. Continuing wetland loss will adversely affect Abemarle-Pamlico Sound, the fisheries that depend on the Sound's habitats, and ultimately may affect communities, such as those in Carteret County, that depend on the area's fisheries.
South Carolina
About two-thirds of South Carolina's coast is part of the "Sea
Island Coastal Region', an area characterized by wide expanses
of salt marsh punctuated by numerous inlets, sounds, and bays.
Forested wetlands along rivers such as he Savannah, Santee,
and Pee Dee, are also important elements of South Carolina's
coastal region. These extremely productive coastal wetlands
provide the resource base for the state's commercial and recreational
fishing, and tourism. The dockside value of commercial landings
of fish and shellfish at Charleston, Beaufort, Port Royal,
Hilton Head, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, and other South Carolina
seafood centers exceeded $37 million in 1995. Recreational
fisheries also contribute substantially to the state's economy,
generating more than $18 million in state sales tax in 1991.
During that same year, about 842,000 anglers spent more than
$366 million on recreational fishing in South Carolina. This
activity supported 13,550 jobs with more than $216 million
in earnings.
The estuarine waters and wetlands of South Carolina provide critical nursery areas for many species of fish and shellfish. Shrimp, blue crab, and oyster, the most important commercial species, all depend on estuarine wetlands for protection and food when they are juveniles. Shrimp production, in particular, has been shown to be directly proportional to the acreage of vegetated wetlands in an estuary. In other words, the more wetlands there are in an estuary, the more shrimp the estuary will produce. The vast expanse of vegetated wetlands in coastal South Carolina make this a very important area for shrimp production in the south Atlantic. Striped bass and bluefish, important recreational fish in South Carolina, are dependent on wetlands for the small fish upon which they feed. Flounder, the most commonly caught recreational fish, are also dependent on wetlands for protection and food when they are juveniles.
By the mid-1980's, South Carolina had lost approximately 27% of its estimated original wetlands acreage. The Clean Water Act and the state's coastal wetlands statute have slowed the state's wetland loss rate, but wetlands in coastal states continue to be lost to development at a higher rate than is occurring in inland wetlands, particularly in the southeast United States. Strong wetland protection efforts are needed to avoid additional wetland loss, which would adversely affect the fisheries that depend on wetlands, and the communities that depend on the fishing industry.
Georgia
Georgia's entire coast is part of the "Sea Island Coastal Region".
Wide expanses of salt marsh punctuated by numerous inlets, sounds, and bays
are characteristic of this region, as are the forested wetlands along rivers
such as the Savannah, Alamaha, and St. Mary's River. These extremely productive
coastal wetlands provide the resource base for the state's commercial and recreational
fishing, and tourism. The dockside value of commercial landings of finfish
and shellfish at Brunswick, St Simons, Savannah, and the many smaller fishing
communities along Georgia's coast exceeded $35 million in 1995. Recreational
fisheries also contribute substantially to the state's economy, generating
almost $18 million in state sales tax in 1991. During that same year, about
1,106,200 anglers spent more than $448 million on saltwater recreational fishing
in Georgia. This activity supported 14,700 jobs with nearly $229 million in
earnings.
The estuarine waters and wetlands of Georgia provide critical nursery areas for many species of fish and shellfish. Shrimp and blue crab, the most important commercial species, depend on estuarine wetlands for protection and food when they are juveniles. Shrimp production, in particular, has been shown to be directly proportional to the acreage of vegetated wetlands in an estuary. The vast expanse of vegetated wetlands in coastal Georgia make this a very important are for shrimp production in the south Atlantic. Striped bass, an important recreational fish in Georgia, is also dependent on wetlands for the small fish upon which it feeds.
By the mid-1980's, Georgia had lost approximately 23% of its estimated original wetlands acreage. The Clean Water Act and the state's coastal wetlands statute have slowed the state's wetland loss rate, but wetlands in coastal states such as Georgia continue to be lost to development at a higher rate than is occurring in inland states, particularly in the southeast United States. Consistent, long-term protection for wetlands at the Federal, state, and local level is essential for protection of the fish habitats and fisheries that are so important to the economy of Georgia.
Florida
Recreational fisheries are a big business in Florida, generating $115 million
in state sales taxes in 1991. During that same year, more than 2.5 million
people spent almost $2 billion fishing in Florida's waters. Florida's sport
fishing industry supported 58,000 jobs which resulted in more than $1 billion
in earnings in 1991. Commercial fishing is also an important industry in Florida.
The dockside value of commercial fish and shellfish landed in ports such as
Key West, Tampa Bay, and Fort Meyers, totaled almost $200 million in 1995.
Many of the commonly-fished marine recreational species, such as flounder, sea trout, and bluefish, depend upon estuarine wetlands. Juvenile flounder and sea trout seek refuge in the shallow waters of tidal creeks and wetlands, and depend on the rich detrital food chain of those areas. Human disturbance and destruction of estuarine habitats, including wetlands, is the primary threat to young fish of these important species. Adult bluefish feed on the small fish that inhabit coastal wetlands. Bluefish populations along the Atlantic coast have been in decline, and scientists believe that loss of wetland habitat is partly to blame. Florida's coastal wetlands have also been found to be intimately associated with sea grass beds, and the numerous recreational fish species (grouper, snappers, and others) that depend on those habitats. The most important commercial species, such as mackerel, menhaden, blue crab, and shrimp, are also very dependent on estuarine wetlands. This dependence is particularly strong for the commonly-fished species of shrimp, for which there is research showing that the productivity of shrimp fisheries are directly related to the amount of vegetated area in an estuary.
The economies of numerous Florida communities depend on recreational fishing. For example, towns along Indian River Lagoon (on the east coast of Florida), such as Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Coco Beach, and Jupiter, attract numerous saltwater sport fishermen year-round. The wetlands of Indian River Lagoon, impounded for many decades but now under restoration, help to make that areas sport fishing industry possible. Indian River Lagoon is part of the National Estuary Program. Millions of Federal, state, and local dollars have been spent in research, management, and restoration of its habitats so that saltwater sport fishing will continue to be a viable part of the state's economy. Apalachicola Bay (Florida panhandle) provides another example of an area where there is a strong recreational fishery that depends on wetlands, and where there are towns (Apalachicola, East Point) that depend on recreational fishing. The state has declared Apalachicola Bay a State Area of Special Concern. The local planning commissions are controlling development around the bay to conserve its wetland habitats and the fish that depend on them. As long as the bay's wetlands are managed responsibly, the local communities will continue to gain revenues from the influx of anglers.
By the mid- 1980's, Florida had lost approximately 46% of its estimated original wetlands acreage. The Clean Water Act and the state's wetland protection statute have slowed the state's wetland loss rate, but wetlands in coastal states such as Florida continue to be lost to development at a higher rate than is occurring in inland states, particularly in the southeast United States. Consistent, long term protection for wetlands at the Federal, state, and local level is essential for protection of the fish habitats and fisheries that are so important to Florida economy.
References:
- American, Sportfishing Association- The 1991 Economic Impact of Sport Fishing in the United States ASA: I Opp.
- Brady, S.J. and Flather C. H., 1994. Changes in wetlands on nonfederal rural land of the conterminous United States from 1982 to 1987. Env. Manag. 18(5):693-705.
- Carteret County Economic Development Council Inc., 1992. Commercial fishing remains significant in county's economy. Economic Resources, 3(3).
- Chambers, J.R., 1992. Coastal degradation and fish population losses. In Stroud, ed. Stemming the Tide of Coastal Fish Habitat Loss. National Coalition for Marine Conservation, Inc.: 45-51.
- Dahl. T.E., 1990. Wetlands Losses in the United States 1780‘s to 1980's. U.S. Dept. Interior: 13pp.
- Heimlich, R. and Melanson, J, 1995. Wetlands lost, wetlands gained. National Wetlands Newsletter 17(3).
- Turner, R. E, 1992. Coastal wetlands and Penaeid shrimp habitat. In Stroud, ed. Stemming the Tide of Coastal Fish Habitat Loss. National Coalition for Marine Conservation, Inc.:97-104.
- U.S. Dept. Commerce, 1996. Fisheries of the United States, 1995. U.S. Govt. Printing Office.
- U.S. Dept. Interior and U.S. Dept. Commerce, 1993. 1991 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation {individual state name}. U.S. Govt. Printing Office
- US Dept. Commerce, 1995. Unpublished
statistics. William M. Kier Associates, 1994 Fisheries, Wetlands,
and jobs. Campaign to Save California Wetlands.- 24pp.
Authors:
Susan-Marie Stedman
Office of Habitat Conservation HQ
Silver Spring, MDJeanne Hanson
Protected Resources Management Division
Anchorage, AK